the wizard was not planning to find shelter that night
he had been surveilling an elf whose movements were not right
but a storm came up that contained pounding rain, and discomfort galore
the old wizard was soon clicking the clacker on the castle’s door
A voice said come in, so the wizard took off his hat
a puddle of rainwater was at his feet in seconds flat
I can clean that up he told the beautiful woman staring at him
No need she told him, you are most welcome, Sage Jim
The wizard was astounded, who had told her his name?
He was invited into a parlor where there was a witch of some fame.
At last! She said, we have been surveilling your movements all night.
He settled down to listen, because everything seemed merry and bright.
Next in was the elf Jim had been trailing through the bushes and trees.
I knew I could lead him to you, he told them. He was smug, this elf, Jeeves.
That’s the only part of the story I know, the only part told to me by my beard.
After this night, the wizard was never seen, for he had disappeared.
“Work is worship," a doctrine passed through centuries,
"Rest is rebellion," a baton, drowning in miseries.
"Act without expectation," karma echoes,
"Everything returns," as destiny bestows.
"Silence is golden," a soft ebb that silhouettes the sand,
"Words can change the course of history," a tide that overwhelms the land.
"Knowledge is power," the metaphorical snollygoster—
"Ignorance is bliss," a brazen imposter.
"Aging like fine wine," a desire to aspire,
"Worn by the years," behind a graceful facade.
"A stitch in time saves nine," maxim in Grandma's script,
"Don't fix what isn't broken," Grandpa's witty quip.
Aphorisms perplexing the gyri and sulci—
Dichotomy percolates, its fulcrum sheepishly sly.
Like a dolphin decoding submerged signals,
Surveilling truths with a dunk, a leap, and a dash of giggles.
A dauntless dachshund was my darling dog.
He was charmed to chase the cavorting frog.
He always ran and romped with great agility ,
For sniffing and smelling mice, he had a special ability.
He was rock black in shade and was very bold.
He stayed loyal and lively and never grew old.
His swaddling gait and swiveling move,
Brought much joy. From life, all boredom he did remove.
Safeguarded and shielded our home with a surveilling eye.
Lazily loitered with us under the lulling evening sky.
His sparkling starry eyes shone with joyful delight.
He sought snuggles and cuddles as if they were his right.
Sad, one day, our darling dachshund for ever departed.
Dropping his doggy duties, from us, he silently parted.
The memory of the magical moments he gave, merrily stays.
A faithful friend who gave us funny and festive days!
It's not the furious storm battering,
or the massive tides rising
that seem a real threat
to the existence of this fortress
defended by your grit
to retain its stately appearance!
Make your last tower stand strong,
allow no disarming thoughts cause a defeat;
show you valor with a vigorous beat:
to be victorious one must keep fighting along!
Let hope reflect the boldness
of your will when the cunning enemy
will attemtp to climb front and side walls
you've fortified with tremendous audacity;
ignore their mocking, they won't fall,
continue surveilling them until nightfall!
Make your last tower stand strong,
amid loud clashes and terrifying screams,
keep an eye on your emblazed flag;
it must not be drenched in blood or tears!
It’s so odd,
how time expands and collapses.
In doing so,
it scatters the timeline shimmering across the sky.
It left me crumpled,
Surveilling the kaleidoscope that was my life.
Waiting for someone to chance upon my path
and remake the sense of it all.
Yesterday is tomorrow and tomorrow was last week.
The orderly patterns of existence
that had kept me blindly safe,
had dissolved to a blur of images;
orderless and ambiguous to the life I’d led.
I wandered aimlessly through the frames.
Good and evil, in between
my lines, surveilling, undermined
the conquest ailing to divine
I think, and can, and so entwine!
This endless duldrum of remind
in effigy, the pranksters kind
is repitition, factual, hind
while I creative, lag unsigned!
Not now, not this, no not this time
my art bewailing must be find,
a grace unerring, ears that bind
in this assailing, beauty fined!
Oh jealous summit, you are primed
to my curtailing ~ line by lined,
I deafen thee, thy ugly sound
attention swailing, my post's mound!
Must to God's hailing seek surmount
not constant failing, from your flount!
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.